Tag Archives: Bradenton

(Bradenton, FL) The Pittsburgh Pirates and Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) today announced a naming-rights
agreement for the Club’s spring training ballpark in Bradenton, FL. As part of a 15-year naming rights agreement,
the former McKechnie Field is now LECOM Park.

(Bradenton, FL) The Pittsburgh Pirates will hold National Anthem auditions on Sunday, January 29 from 10:00 a.m. to Noon at McKechnie Field in Bradenton, FL. Auditions are open to anyone interested in singing The Star Spangled Banner prior to a Pirates Spring Training game. Prospective singers must feel comfortable performing in front of audiences of 7,000 people or more.

Auditions will be conducted a cappella and must be no longer than two minutes in length. There is no pre-registration for auditions. Prospective singers will perform in the order they sign up on the day of auditions. Registration will close at noon. National Anthem auditions will be conducted for vocalists only; instrumental renditions will not be accepted.

Pirates employees will supervise the auditions and determine which performers to invite to fill open spots in the Spring Training schedule. Contestants that wish to sing the Canadian National Anthem before the Pirates game against Toronto on Sunday, March 19 or the national anthem of the Dominican Republic for the game on Wednesday, March 8 are welcome to audition with one of those selections. Participants that audition but are not selected to perform will have their information kept on file for potential anthem openings during the Bradenton Marauders season.

The Pirates will play an 18-game home schedule at McKechnie Field this spring, beginning with a matchup against the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday, February 25.

(Bradenton, FL) The Pittsburgh Pirates today announced their minor league managerial and coaching assignments for the 2016 season. The announcement was made by Larry Broadway, Pirates Director of Minor League Operations.

Michael Ryan will manage the Bradenton Marauders in the team’s seventh season. Ryan, the fifth manager in franchise history, is returning for his second season at the helm in Bradenton. Last year the Marauders finished 74-64 overall. This is Ryan’s fourth season as a manager in the Pirates organization. He managed Low-A West Virginia in 2013 and 2014. Ryan joined the Pirates organization in 2012 as a player coach with the Altoona Curve. His career record is 210-203 over the previous three seasons. Ryan played in the Major Leagues for parts of five seasons with the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.Michael Ryan

Jeff Johnson joins the Marauders as pitching coach for 2016. Johnson is in his ninth season with the Pirates organization. His prior coaching stops include stints with Low-A West Virginia (2009-2011, 2013-2014), Double-A Altoona (2012), and most recently Class-A Short Season Bristol. Johnson pitched in the Majors for three seasons with the New York Yankees.Jeff Johnson

Keoni De Renne will be the Marauders hitting coach. De Renne is in his fifth season with the Pirates organization. He spent the last two seasons as the hitting coach at Low-A West Virginia. His playing career as an infielder spanned 2000-2010, including five organizations and more than 1,000 games played.Keoni De Renne

Ryan, Johnson, and De Renne all played in the Florida State League during their minor league careers. Coming up in the Twins organization, Ryan spent the 1999 season with the Fort Myers Miracle. Johnson started 17 games in 1990 with the Fort Lauderdale Yankees. De Renne had a short stint with the Clearwater Threshers during the final season of his playing career in 2010.

The first Marauders game at McKechnie Field in 2016 is on Saturday, April 9 at 6:30 p.m.

For more information about the Bradenton Marauders, visit www.BradentonMarauders.com.
(Photos courtesy Pittsburgh Pirates)

(Bradenton, FL) The Bradenton Marauders will host “Marty’s Toy Drive” at Pirate City on Saturday, December 12. New, unwrapped toys will be collected and donated to The Salvation Army for distribution to children in need in Manatee County. The toy drive will run from 9 to 11 a.m.

Those who donate can enjoy a complimentary breakfast in the Pirate City Dining Hall. Each donor will receive a Pirates or Marauders promo item from the treasure chest and free entry into an exclusive raffle for a Pirates Spring Training Prize Pack filled which includes four (4) tickets to a Spring Training game at McKechnie Field and a ball autographed by Pirates All-Star Andrew McCutchen.

The Salvation Army’s “Adopt a Family” program will help provide gifts for nearly 2,000 needy children in Manatee County this holiday season. Gifts have been pledged for more than 1,100 children already this year. The toy drive will help The Salvation Army fill the wishes of children that are not adopted in the coming weeks.

The toy drive is named for the Marauders’ lovable mascot Marty, who will be attending the event as Marty Claus. The Marauders will offer complimentary photos with Marty Claus to children attending the event. Photos will be emailed to attendees in the week following the event.

Pirate City is located at 1701 27th Street East in Bradenton, north of Mixon Fruit Farms and across the street from Wakeland Elementary School.

For more information about the Bradenton Marauders, please call 941-747-3031, visit www.BradentonMarauders.com, or email Carley.Paganelli@Pirates.com.

For more information about the Salvation Army and its Christmas assistance programs, visit www.SalvationArmy.org/Bradenton.

(Bradenton, FL) The Pittsburgh Pirates and Bradenton Marauders will present “Concert in the Park” at McKechnie Field on Saturday, November 14. Orchestras from Bayshore High School, Braden River High School, Lakewood Ranch High School, Manatee High School, Palmetto High School, and Southeast High School will participate. Middle school orchestras from Braden River Middle School, Buffalo Creek Middle School, Haile Middle School, Johnson Middle School, Lee Middle School, Nolan Middle School, and Sugg Middle School will participate as well. Gates will open at 5:00 p.m., and the music will begin at 6:00 p.m.

Tickets for “Concert in the Park” at McKechnie Field cost $10 per family. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or in advance at any of the participating schools. Proceeds from the concert will benefit the Manatee County Schools’ Orchestra programs.

“In a time when arts are often cut in schools, it is more important than ever before that we continue to celebrate these qualities and empower our students to explore their creativity through them,” Manatee County Schools Orchestra Director Malissa A. Baker said. “Thanks to the generosity of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Bradenton Marauders, we are able to collaboratively share this gift with our community.”

More than 600 students will be performing among the 13 orchestras. The money raised will help purchase new music, cover the cost of acquiring and maintaining instruments, and create extra musical opportunities for students. In addition to traditional orchestral pieces, attendees will hear renditions of “Yesterday” by The Beatles, Meghan Trainor’s hit “All About That Bass”, ballpark classic “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”, and selections from blockbuster movies like Pirates of the Caribbean, The Hunger Games, and Jurassic Park.

For more information about “Concert in the Park”, please contact Malissa A. Baker at 941-721-2260, ext. 2293.

For more information about the Bradenton Marauders, please visit www.BradentonMarauders.com.